


Perfect

by sophinisba



Series: Five Ways Lancelot Got What He Always Wanted [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sports, Community: kink_bingo, Drabble Sequence, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humiliation, Ice Skating, Multi, Quintuple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-06
Updated: 2011-12-06
Packaged: 2017-10-27 00:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/289697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophinisba/pseuds/sophinisba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Figure skating AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meri (merry_magpie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_magpie/gifts).



> Inspired by Merlin 4x09 but not terribly spoilery. For the "humiliation (in public)" square on my kink_bingo card. Thanks to claudia603 for betaing.

There's some kind of delay with the music, and to fill time the camera cuts away from Lancelot on the ice to Arthur backstage, beaming and holding Gwen's hand. His smile glows even brighter once he sees himself on the screen. It's for Lancelot, this joy, this magnanimity.

Arthur just finished skating the program of his life. Showy and brash as always at first, he surprised everyone with a new level of artistry and emotional depth in the second half. Once the commentators recovered from the shock, they probably decided it was Lancelot's influence.

Lancelot knows he can do better.

*

Teammates, sure. Never mind they've been rivals for half their lives, when it gets to this level they're supposed to forget about all that. They sleep and skate and eat and drink together. They do it for the sport. They do it for England. (Fine, Merlin, "the UK", whatever.)

Thing is, only one can be first. Only one can stand on the highest step while the crowd roars, while the speakers play "God Save the Queen" and the camera shows their faces – bronze, silver, gold, and Gwen looking on. For her happiness, Lancelot decides then, it's got to be Arthur.

*

Technically, they're a perfect match, but Lancelot's real strength is his grace. The heart, the humility that Arthur's only started to find since he met Gwen, that still sometimes looks false on his face and awkward in his limbs, is something Lancelot's never been without.

He wants to make them proud, so he makes everything beautiful up to the end. Then he flubs the landing of the last jump falls flat on his arse.

It hurts more than he anticipated, knocks him senseless and still for a few moments, as the crowd holds its breath and the music plays on.

*

Then he comes back to himself, throws up his hands and laughs. What else can he do? Finally the crowd releases its embarrassed laughter as well, sends it out over the ice to meet him, wash over him, warm him, forgive him. Yes, he's fucked up, poor beautiful bastard. From now on, whatever else he does with his life, this is the clip they'll show, the moment they'll remember. And they'll remember it with fondness.

He hears the last line of the music and gets control of his legs back in time to end up, as planned, on his knees.

*

There are cameras close in his face and reporters just outside, most likely calculating how to humiliate him more while still appearing sympathetic. Lancelot knows he'll answer all their questions with the serenity of a condemned man released.

But first there's Arthur with his broad smile and open arms, and then there's Gwen, squeezing them both with more strength than he knew she had.

"You'll take home the gold," Lancelot mumbles, mealy-mouthed, unsure of what to do with his hands.

"You were beautiful," says one of them.

"You were perfect," says the other.

"We couldn't be more proud of you."


End file.
